Paul Reubens’ 439-piece personal collection, spanning Pee-wee Herman costumes and props as well as objects from the actor’s home, is set to go up for auction Oct. 28 at The Groundlings Theatre in Los Angeles. The venue is closely tied to the character’s beginnings, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Reubens first developed Pee-wee Herman during a late-1970s improv exercise at The Groundlings, playing an obnoxious, eavesdropping waiter in a simulated dinner party scene, according to Collector's Hype. He joined the company in 1978 after attending California Institute of the Arts. The Pee-wee Herman Show began at The Groundlings before moving to the Roxy Theatre on Sunset Boulevard and later becoming a 1981 HBO special, the Los Angeles Times reported.
The Groundlings’ Place in L.A. Comedy
The Groundlings describes itself as a Los Angeles-based improvisational and sketch comedy institution and a cornerstone of the entertainment industry since 1974, according to The Groundlings. Reubens joined the company in 1978, before Pee-wee Herman moved from an improv exercise to a stage show.
A Catalog Spanning Four Decades of Pee-wee
The auction catalog reads like a scrapbook of Reubens' entire career. Per the same Times report, highlights include Pee-wee's Big Holiday hero suit, worn by Reubens and paired with a white shirt, red bow tie, pocket square and white loafers, carrying a pre-sale estimate of $8,000 to $10,000. A dozen prop food pieces from Pee-wee's Playhouse's fridge are estimated at $800 to $1,000, while a 40-inch Pee-wee Herman doll made by Carousel for a JCPenney exclusive line in the late 1980s, one of 2,000 produced in 1989, carries an estimate of $300 to $500.
Some lots connect the character to Reubens’ personal history. A vintage Pee Wee brand harmonica made in Occupied Japan between 1945 and 1951 is included; Reubens cited it as inspiration for the character’s name, and it is estimated at $100 to $200. The sale also includes the red Schwinn DX bicycle replica he rode at the 2011 Spike TV Scream Awards, where he accepted the Honorary Visionary Award. The bicycle is estimated at $5,000 to $7,000, and the award is also included, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Even the mundane made the cut. Julien's Auctions lists the original metallic address numbers removed from Reubens' home at 5835 Green Oak Drive, showing minor wear and rust from nearly four decades on the property, with an estimate of just $100 to $200, according to the Julien's Auctions listing itself. Reubens bought the 1957 mid-century ranch home in Los Angeles' Los Feliz neighborhood for $415,000 in February 1985 after the success of Pee-wee's Big Adventure, and the 1.4-acre gated property was later listed for sale at $4.995 million in 2024, per SFGATE.
Why the Auction Is Happening Now
Catherine Williamson, managing director of entertainment for Julien's Auctions, described the 439-item haul as a remarkable archive reflecting Reubens' artistry as a gifted improviser and writer who built entire worlds around his characters, according to MyNewsLA.com. Starting October 14, two weeks of public programming at The Groundlings Theatre will precede the sale, including an archive exhibition and a screening of original Pee-wee's Playhouse episodes followed by a panel discussion, the outlet reports.
Tickets to attend the auction in person sold out within a single day, the Times notes, though the public can still bid online, and those holding tickets to a Groundlings show can view the exhibition through October 28. Pee-wee's Playhouse ran on CBS from 1986 through 1990, earning 15 Daytime Emmy Awards during its original run per the Television Academy, and it helped launch the careers of Phil Hartman, Laurence Fishburne and S. Epatha Merkerson, according to the Times.
A Posthumous Reckoning With a Hidden Illness
Reubens died on July 30, 2023, at age 70, after recording interviews for what became the 2025 Emmy-winning documentary miniseries Pee-wee as Himself just before his death, the Times reports. His death certificate listed the immediate cause as acute hypoxic respiratory failure following a private six-year battle with cancer that he intentionally kept hidden until a posthumous statement revealed it, according to the Los Angeles Times. The two-part HBO documentary, directed by Matt Wolf, went on to win three Primetime Emmy Awards including Best Documentary or Nonfiction Special, securing Reubens his first career Primetime Emmy, as reported by CalArts.
The renewed attention around that documentary has coincided with a broader surge in demand for celebrity archives at Julien's Auctions. The house also staged an August 2026 international touring showcase of Michael Jackson's stage wardrobe in Seattle, as Hoodline previously covered when MoPOP unveiled the pieces, building on the auction house's history of selling Jackson's Thriller jacket for $1.8 million back in 2011. A separate July 2026 Julien's sale of songwriter Allee Willis' estate also included a rare, signed Pee-wee Herman doll with custom diamond eyes that Reubens had gifted to close friends, estimated at $1,000 to $2,000, according to Antique Trader.
Another Celebrity Collection Sale
Sotheby’s scheduled a separate auction of Marsha and Robin Williams’ collection for Oct. 4 in New York. The dedicated sale includes items from the couple’s collection, with a portion of proceeds designated for charities including The Juilliard School, Wounded Warrior Project, the Challenged Athletes Foundation, and the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, according to Sotheby’s.
